The King & The Bear's 448-yard, par-four ninth is both a beauty and a beast.
If your Florida golf vacation includes a stop at the World Golf Hall of Fame, be sure to schedule time to play The King & The Bear, the better of the two golf courses that, along with the Hall, hotels, retail shops and restaurants, comprise the World Golf Village.
The King & The Bear is exactly what its name implies, a collaboration — the first and only such design partnership — between golf titans Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The fruit of their alliance, which opened in November 2001, is a true championship layout that measures 7,279 yards from the tips.
Despite being saddled mainly with flat Florida geography, Arnie’s and Jack’s design teams created a smattering of modest but nonetheless welcome elevation changes. On the other hand, water is a clear and present danger, influencing play on no less than 16 holes.
What really stands out, however, is the quality of holes of every type: short par fours, like the fourth, with deftly deployed greenside sand; long par fours like the killer ninth, with a lake unnervingly running down the entire right side; one-shotters such as the 137-yard 11th, with water, sand and an often unmanageable Humpty-Dumpty green; and a couple of muscular par fives, including the thrilling, 529-yard seventh, which bends relentlessly around a lake, temping you to bite off more than you can actually chew.
Even the guys who designed the course succumbed to its powers; they tied for 11th as a team when their layout hosted the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf tournament shortly after opening.
Not already a subscriber to Golf Vacation Insider? Use this link to stay in the loop with our free tips and expert advice on which golf courses, golf resorts, discount golf vacations, and golf vacation packages are truly worth your time and money. As a bonus, we will send you a free copy of Planning the Ultimate Golf Vacation, a 40-page book filled with some of the best golf travel secrets from the editors of Golf Odyssey.
